


Darkness That No Dawn Will Break

by learningthetrees



Category: 19th Century CE RPF, Houdini (2014)
Genre: Comfort, F/M, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-24
Updated: 2016-05-24
Packaged: 2018-06-10 09:00:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6949633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/learningthetrees/pseuds/learningthetrees
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She couldn’t tell him about the nightmare; she didn’t want her unconscious fears to reach him. His greatest trick was his ability to escape fear, and she didn’t want to be the one to break that magic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Darkness That No Dawn Will Break

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a while ago and thought I'd share it! Inspired by the 2014 History Channel miniseries

Sometimes, Bess had nightmares she never told anyone about — not even Harry. How could she, when they involved him meeting a watery end? She saw his eyes, wide and fearful, his hands pounding on the glass until they weakened, bubbles escaping his lips as his body stilled. A terror settled into the pit of her stomach, a terror that wouldn’t subside even when she sat up in bed, gasping. Only the sound of Harry breathing softly next to her, completely unaware of her fears, could put her at ease.

A week of watching Water Torture Cell escapes had passed when another of these dreams struck. She watched as the curtain rose around the water cell, only for Harry to still be trapped inside, hanging by his ankles. His mouth was open in a silent scream, his dark eyes growing darker until the life left them completely, his skin gaining a hint of blue. Bess’s limbs were heavy, paralyzed, she couldn’t go to him, she couldn’t get him out, he was dying and there was nothing she could do but watch —

Bess bolted upright, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. She pushed a sweaty curl out of her eyes and looked at the bed beside her: empty. The covers were pushed back and the indentation of Harry’s body was still visible. It wasn’t unusual for Harry to keep strange hours, but after the harrowing dream she’d had, all Bess wanted was to be near him.

She swung her legs out of bed, grabbed her robe, and pulled it on as she crept out of the bedroom. She peered around the corner and saw Harry standing in front of the wide living room window, his arms crossed as he gazed out into the pre-dawn dimness. “Harry?” she said softly.

He turned, and the moment he saw her, his features became painted with concern. Bess was convinced that Harry could read her face, and tonight she knew he could tell something was bothering her. She crossed the room and slipped into his arms.

“Why are you awake?” he asked, his lips against her hair.

“Why are _you_ awake?” she countered, resting her cheek on his chest. She couldn’t tell him about the nightmare; she didn’t want her unconscious fears to reach him. His greatest trick was his ability to escape fear, and she didn’t want to be the one to break that magic.

Harry sighed and wrapped his arms around her tighter, looking out the window again. “Thinking,” he said simply. His mind was always whirring, like a tightly wound machine, and he often had trouble turning it off. She could tell just by looking him over that he was already planning the next show-stopper, running plans through his mind and imagining just how far he could push himself.

She wanted to help him, wanted to ease his disquiet the way he did hers — so she did the only thing she could. Bess turned her head up and pressed a kiss to his jaw before whispering, “I love you.”

Harry smiled. “I love you, too.” He slipped a hand behind her head and closed the distance between them, kissing her deeply. As Bess melted into the kiss, she felt the knot of tension in her body slowly release. She needed Harry just as much as he needed her.

**Author's Note:**

> Come talk to me at [ask-learningthetrees.tumblr.com](http://www.ask-learningthetrees.tumblr.com)!


End file.
